Tyler John

That could make it difficult for me to transition into a lot of programs. I know that Cambridge's diploma program and LSE's two-year MSc program are specifically geared toward students without a background in math and economics. Perhaps there are no similar programs in the US. Thanks! I'll give 'em a look. That's probably right. The worry is that I won't be able to. (I of course don't assume I'll be able to do econ. That's just the question here.)

Thanks. This is all very helpful. My reasons for thinking I would enjoy going into econ are similar to my reasons for thinking I would enjoy going into philosophy. It's a rigorous, technical area of study, some of the projects I could work on would have real-world impact, it seems like a fairly good field for building a platform as a public intellectual, and (this time unlike philosophy) the prospects for getting a good job and for making a good salary seem strong. I think one big takeaway I'm getting is that I need to explore economics more and see if it's really something I would enjoy. I've read a lot of moral philosophy from John Broome, who is an economist and has written several books including Ethics out of Economics, Weighing Goods, and Weighing Lives that have each been influential in my thinking and have shown me how the formal tools of economics can be used to solve ethical problems. This, combined with what I've gathered from reading just about every issue of Economics and Philosophy (and I am trying to get a piece published there now), my MOOC in game theory, and my MOOC in mathematical philosophy, have all given me the impression that there's sufficient overlap between economics and philosophy such that I'd find (at least some of) economics very interesting, and that I'd be good at it. But it might be that doing philosophy of economics is just as different from doing economics as doing philosophy of biology is from doing biology. So I will have to explore that. I'm thinking that a good way to explore this would be to do a one-year immersion - the first year of an MA or a diploma in economics. But that's a risky venture if I have to pay $30,000-40,000 to do so. Hence why I was asking if there are any programs or scholarships that might allow me to do such a program for free. In philosophy there are a number of terminal MA programs - I was accepted to several last year, each with full funding and a stipend. Are there similar programs in economics?

Thanks a lot. This all seems reasonable to me. I guess I had hoped that my research on decision theory/utility theory would translate over and make me a good candidate for top programs once I had the math down. But perhaps I've underestimated how much of a different field economics is, and how much catching up I'd have to do.

Thanks, chateauheart. This comes as a surprise. According to some of the articles I have been reading, job prospects in economics are fabulously good. One claimed that 99.2% of economics PhD's are employed (that's more than an order of magnitude better than philosophy PhD's). EDIT: Ah. You said "If you intend to work as an economics theorist coming out of a mid-tiered program like that (even assuming your interests become more mainstream), I'm not sure your job prospects are any better than being a philosophy grad from a top 20." I'd like to work in economic theory, but I'm not committed. I could work in other areas. What's your basis for thinking that the range of programs I could get into would be #25-#50? And thanks for the tip on political science programs.

Hi all, I am currently a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, Department of Bioethics. I have a background in philosophy, and intend to apply to top philosophy PhD programs this fall. However, the philosophy job market is currently abysmal. Unless I get into approx. a top 10 school, I won't have a good chance of getting a TT job... ever. And, since top philosophy PhD programs have about a 1-2% acceptance rate, I have no certainty that I'll get into a top program. As such, I'm starting to look at trying to move into an economics PhD program, where job prospects are better. My philosophy research has focused on moral philosophy, decision theory, and how we should distribute scarce resources, so it seems like a natural fit for me. Unfortunately, while I have a natural aptitude for math, I don't have any math or economics coursework under my belt. So, I probably won't get into any good US economics programs if I apply now. From my research it looks like I'll need to get a noob-friendly MA, MSc or diploma before I apply to PhD programs in economics. I've looked at a few in the UK that look somewhat promising (Cambridge, LSE), but I'd like to find some places in the US to apply to. Optimally, one with funding. TL;DR I'm a philosophy major who wants to get into a funded MA or diploma program that will help me transition into a good economics PhD program. Do these exist? Where should I look? Thanks a ton for your advice. My profile is below: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA Philosophy (plus 40-odd credits in hard sciences), Cedarville University Undergrad GPA: 3.834 (Philosophy GPA: 3.955) GRE: QR: 167, VR: 169, AW: 6.0 Math Courses: None, AP'd out of calc and statistics Econ Courses (grad-level): None Econ Courses (undergrad-level): None Other Courses: Lots of philosophy, biology, chemistry, physics Letters of Recommendation: Strong from fairly well-known philosophers Research Experience: Two-year fellowship at the NIH. Presented at ~12 philosophy conferences, expect to have ~4 first-author publications in good philosophy journals (and in one OUP book) in the next 1-2 years. Teaching Experience: TA one semester, one invited lecture Research Interests: Decision theory, judgment aggregation, moral philosophy, unknown econ interests